The oval portrait story. Short Stories: The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe 2019-01-15

Short Stories: The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe

Nothing of consequence occurs during the night, but the details provide a romantic feeling of loss that serves as an introduction to the story of the oval portrait. And when many weeks bad passed, and but little remained to do, save one brush upon the mouth and one tint upon the eye, the spirit of the lady again flickered up as the flame within the socket of the lamp. I wished all this done that I might resign myself, if not to sleep, at least alternately to the contemplation of these pictures, and the perusal of a small volume which had been found upon the pillow, and which purported to criticise and describe them. In the short story the time when the subject of the painting and the artist wedded is described as evil. Students read the passage and answer questions.

Short Stories: The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe

But he, the painter, took glory in his work, which went on from hour to hour, and from day to day. And then the brush was given, and then the tint was placed; and, for one moment, the painter stood entranced before the work which he had wrought; but in the next, while he yet gazed, he grew tremulous and very , and , and crying with a loud voice, 'This is indeed Life itself! She is only observed, both by her husband, who in the throes of his art sees her only as a model, and by the narrator, who peers at her image in order to while away the night we know that the narrator is male because his servant is described as a valet, a term commonly used for the male servant of a man. To all appearance it had been temporarily and very lately abandoned. Long—long I read—and devoutly, devotedly I gazed. And then the brush was given, and then the tint was placed; and, for one moment, the painter stood entranced before the work which he had wrought; but in the next, while he yet gazed, he grew tremulous and very pallid, and aghast, and crying with a loud voice, 'This is indeed Life itself! Its walls were hung with tapestry and bedecked with manifold and multiform armorial trophies, together with an unusually great number of very spirited modern paintings in frames of rich golden arabesque.

What is the mood in 'The Oval Portrait' by Edgar Allan Poe?

As a thing of art nothing could be more admirable than the painting itself. But it could have been neither the execution of the work, nor the immortal beauty of the countenance, which had so suddenly and so vehemently moved me. Finally, we'll analyze some key ideas raised in this short story. To all appearance it had been temporarily and very lately abandoned. One of the paintings is the portrait of a beautiful young woman who seems almost to be alive. A hypnagogic state is the experience of a transitional state from wakefulness to sleep, also known as daydreaming.

The Story of the Oval Portrait

The setting and basis of the plot are shrouded in mystery; the narrator does not explain how or where he is wounded, and with his servant, he enters an abandoned, decaying chateau that offers no more answers than the narrator. But he, the painter, took glory in his work, which went on from hour to hour, and from day to day. Least of all, could it have been that my fancy, shaken from its half slumber, had mistaken the head for that of a living person. And he was a passionate, and wild, and moody man, who became lost in reveries; so that he would not see that the light which fell so ghastly in that lone turret withered the health and the spirits of his bride, who pined visibly to all but him. The rays of the numerous candles for there were many now fell within a niche of the room which had hitherto been thrown into deep shade by one of the bed-posts.

A Summary and Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Oval Portrait’

He, passionate, studious, austere, and having already a bride in his Art; she a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of glee; all light and smiles, and frolicsome as the young fawn; loving and cherishing all things; hating only the Art which was her rival; dreading only the pallet and brushes and other untoward instruments which deprived her of the countenance of her lover. Yet she smiled on and still on, uncomplainingly, because she saw that the painter who had high renown took a fervid and burning pleasure in his task, and wrought day and night to depict her who so loved him, yet who grew daily more dispirited and weak. After studying the portrait for a good while, the narrator reads about it in a book he has found about the paintings. Despite his self-proclaimed delirious state, the narrator stays awake while his valet sleeps. But it could have been neither the execution of the work, nor the immortal beauty of the countenance, which had so suddenly and so vehemently moved me.

The Oval Portrait

She is the inspiration for and object of art, but performs no action except die. We established ourselves in one of the smallest and least sumptuously furnished apartments. We summarized its plot, then analyzed two key ideas raised by the text. It is also a frame narrative, or a story that contains another story. Long - long I read - and devoutly, devotedly I gazed. At length, satisfied with the true secret of its effect, I fell back within the bed.

The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe: Summary & Analysis

Yet she smiled on and still on, uncomplainingly, because she saw that the painter who had high renown took a fervid and burning pleasure in his task, and wrought day and night to depict her who so loved him, yet who grew daily more dispirited and weak. We discussed possible arguments for reading Poe as a misogynist, partly supported by Poe's 'Philosophy of Composition,', which was his theory about literary art, versus reading Poe as criticizing the objectification of women. He, passionate, studious, austere, and having already a bride in his Art; she a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of glee; all light and smiles, and frolicsome as the young fawn; loving and cherishing all things; hating only the Art which was her rival; dreading only the pallet and brushes and other untoward instruments which deprived her of the countenance of her lover. In a very few moments I again looked fixedly at the painting. That I now saw aright I could not and would not doubt; for the first flashing of the candles upon that canvas had seemed to dissipate the dreamy stupor which was stealing over my senses, and to startle me at once into waking life. It was thus a terrible thing for this lady to hear the painter speak of his desire to portray even his young bride. It was the portrait of a young girl just ripening into womanhood.

Edgar Allan Poe Reading Worksheet

It was a mere head and shoulders, done in what is technically termed a vignette manner; much in the style of the favorite heads of Sully. Edgar Allan Poe wrote in the Gothic genre, what Gothic elements are found in the story? The art book's author informs others about them. He holes up in one of the rooms, and contemplates the strange paintings adorning the walls of the room, and reads a small book he had found on the pillow of the bed, which contains information about the paintings. The cause of my deep agitation being thus shut from view, I sought eagerly the volume which discussed the paintings and their histories. And be was a passionate, and wild, and moody man, who became lost in reveries; so that he would not see that the light which fell so ghastly in that lone turret withered the health and the spirits of his bride, who visibly to all but him. I saw at once that the peculiarities of the design, of the vignetting, and of the frame, must have instantly dispelled such idea- must have prevented even its momentary entertainment.

The Oval Portrait free essay sample

And in sooth some who beheld the portrait spoke of its resemblance in low words, as of a mighty marvel, and a proof not less of the power of the painter than of his deep love for her whom he depicted so surpassingly well. I saw at once that the peculiarities of the design, of the vignetting, and of the frame, must have instantly dispelled such idea—must have prevented even its momentary entertainment. My goal is to give the students inspiration for their stories. It lay in a remote turret of the building. In these paintings, which depended from the walls not only in their main surfaces, but in very many nooks which the bizarre architecture of the chateau rendered necessary—in these paintings my incipient delirium, perhaps, had caused me to take deep interest; so that I bade Pedro to close the heavy shutters of the room—since it was already night—to light the tongues of a tall candelabrum which stood by the head of my bed—and to throw open far and wide the fringed curtains of black velvet which enveloped the bed itself. But he, the painter, took glory in his work, which went on from hour to hour, and from day to day. Least of all, could it have been that my fancy, shaken from its half slumber, had mistaken the head for that of a living person.